Mark Zuckerberg has a knack for engaging in rivalries with other social media platforms. After adopting features like Reels from TikTok and Stories from Snapchat, the CEO of Meta has now set his sights on Twitter, introducing his own platform called “Threads.”
Threads is undeniably reminiscent of Twitter, but there are subtle differences that set it apart. In this post, we’ll compare these two platforms based on their features. While they may appear quite similar at first glance, it’s crucial to understand their distinctions.
Introduction to Threads
Threads is a new app, built by the Instagram team, for sharing text updates, images, gifs videos and joining public conversations. Threads is a direct competitor to Twitter made by Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Like Twitter, Threads is a primarily text-based social media site centred around sharing opinions and starting conversations. Users can also include media like images and links in posts, as well as videos. Also in similar fashion to Twitter, you can reply to posts, like them, repost them to your followers’ feeds (with or without a comment of your own), and share posts across a wide variety of platforms. If you ever used Twitter, you’re already well-acquainted with the mechanics of threads.
Sign up requirements
You can sign up with your email for Twitter but you’ll need an Instagram account in order to sign up for Threads. You can download the Threads app for iOS or Android after creating your account.
You can select to automatically follow every account you now follow on Instagram when you first start the app, or you can pick only a few of them.
Character and Content Limits
Both platforms allow you to share images, videos, GIFs, and links in the posts. However, you can only share GIFs on Threads if saved in your phone’s gallery. Threads have a 500-character limit, according to Meta, whereas unverified Twitter users are limited to 280 characters. For Threads, users must have an Instagram account. They can import their followers and bio information from their Instagram profiles. While Twitter only allows non-verified users to publish two minutes and 20 seconds of video, Threads allows users to post five-minute videos.
User interface
Threads and Twitter both are quite similar in their own ways. Users have a similar text box to share their thoughts and similar ways to react and re-tweet/re-share posts.
Even the way to tag your friends and followers on a post and comment on posts is similar. Though Twitter relies on hashtags to make the post reach relevant people and increase an account’s reach, Threads is still working on such a feature, and the virality of a post depends if your friends have reacted to it.
Direct messaging
Apart from Tweeting or tagging someone on a tweet, Twitter lets you slide into their DMs and have a 1-on-1 private chat. You can share links, images, GIFs, and emojis apart from text messages in Twitter’s message box.
Conversely, Threads doesn’t have an option to send a direct message. Meta already offers a direct chat feature on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. The social media behemoth seems to have decided not to add to the inbox clutter. Most of your friends or followers are already on Instagram, so sending them direct messages isn’t difficult.
Ad Policies
Twitter has adverts, just like every other social media platform. It aids in financing the service and all employees at the business. The Meta-made platform offers a completely ad-free experience because it is a new technology.
We can presume that the business is operating at a loss on the platform to support its short-term expansion. Ad integration, though, might be on the horizon.
Search
Twitter is the fastest medium for sharing news globally. Twitter has a powerful search option that lets you search for trending news, keywords, people, hashtags, people, and usernames. In contrast, Threads search is limited. It only lets you search for accounts as of now. Though this might change soon, we’re unsure how soon Meta plans to add platform-wide search capabilities to Thread.
Privacy
You have the option of making your Thread account public or private, similar to Twitter. You may also specify who can react to a public post—either everyone, just the accounts you follow, or just the people you specify in the post.
However, Threads is just as interested in your personal data as Instagram is. It tracks where you are, what you look at, and what you do within the app, similar to Instagram. Assume that when you create a Threads account, Meta will have access to all the information that Facebook and Instagram have collected about you over time, both on and off their apps, in order to target advertisements and personalize your experience.
For You Page Feed
Currently, the Threads feed is very basic. It only lets you see posts from users you follow or trending posts. There is no option to customize the feed to suit your preference. At best, Threads lets you mute words or people helping you declutter their feed on the new social media platform.
Conversely, Twitter allows you to customize the content you see on your feed heavily. If you want to see content only from the accounts you follow strictly, you can choose “Following.” If you relax slightly and want to see more relevant stuff, you can select “For You” from the settings to see a mix of relevant content and posts from the accounts you follow.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Threads and Twitter may share some resemblances in their text-based conversation approach, but they also diverge significantly in features and functionalities. While Threads requires an Instagram account for sign-up, Twitter allows registration via email. Both platforms have distinct content limits, user interfaces, and direct messaging capabilities. Moreover, their ad policies, search options, privacy settings, and personalized feed experiences differentiate them, offering users a choice to engage based on their preferences and needs in the evolving world of social media.
